Planning career education
Whole-school integrated approach
Whole-school integrated career education is a comprehensive curriculum approach in which a school develops a conscious focus on preparing students to live and work in the community.
What does a whole-school integrated approach mean?
What are the benefits of the whole-school integrated approach?
- Integrating career education into all classes helps students see how their subjects relate to career options
The whole-school integrated approach has the following benefits:
- there is a greater capacity to give career education and guidance to students across all year levels
- students receive career education through teachers who know them well
- teachers have opportunities to improve their knowledge of and relationships with students
- students develop a better understanding of how subject areas and the skills they're learning are relevant to their post-school life and career options.
What does it take?
For an effective whole-school integrated structure, schools need:
- strong vision and support from the board, principal and senior management
- a cross-school careers lead team to instigate and oversee a robust planning and review process
- careers representation in the structures and systems that are used to manage the career-related events in students' lives
- ongoing promotion, communication and relationship building to embed careers in the school’s culture and encourage whole school participation
- planned, sustainable development of integrated programmes across curriculum areas and pastoral networks
- professional development and support for teachers.
How a whole-school integrated approach works
A whole-school integrated approach starts with a vision from the board of trustees, which trickles down to teaching staff and involves the community.
The diagram below indicates how this can work.
What are the possible success indicators?
Possible indicators of a successful whole-school integrated approach are that:
- each student is aware of what competencies, skills and education they need to pursue opportunities that match their interests
- senior management participate in the careers lead team, integrate career education into school planning and provide more resources for career education
- all careers and transition funding is used to provide relevant programmes
- department plans identify how career education is integrated into teaching and learning
- teaching and learning areas integrate and identify career pathways
- careers staff provide advice to each staff member on their contribution to career education
- increased staff participation in career education programmes and events.
